By Honor Fuchs, 12th grade

Tennis, basketball, weightlifting. These sports have categories for both men and women because of physical and biological differences that make it impossible for women to compete on an equal footing with men.

On the other hand, there are no separate author and “authoress” categories for the Pulitzer prizes, and the committee that chooses winners does not discriminate based on gender. And by disregarding gender they are making a statement that women and men are equal in their capabilities to write.

Similarly, the model of separate gender categories should not be used in acting competitions. By separating male and female actors, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is making a statement that actors of different genders aren’t capable of doing equal work. But if Greta Gerwig and Guillermo del Toro can compete for best director, Timothée Chalamet and Meryl Streep can compete for best actor, too.

The way things are now, the Oscars are confining men and women in specific acting roles that fit their genders. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, leading screenwriters to create roles that fit a male-female gender binary, thereby stifling creativity in the writing of new roles. Without the separate categories, this issue would be eliminated.

Moreover, separating actors and actresses into two categories eliminates the possibility of a transgender or gender-non-conforming Oscar winner. No writer will write a film featuring a transgender actor, because it is certain that the Academy would not choose that person for Best Actor of Best Actress —  because that person does not identify with either of those categories. Transgender actors will not be given award-winning acting opportunities until they are given a space to win those awards. On the other hand, if the Oscars chose to eliminate actor and actress categories they would be opening a door for more gender diversity in awards and in films.

Feminists who favor having separate categories for each gender say that it is the only way for females to get their share of recognition, and that if there were only one acting category it would probably reward five men. This drastically underestimates the talent of female actors. Female representation in films, especially as leads, is on the increase. And women’s acting is just as award-worthy as men’s is.

But to ensure that the number of winners and nominees is not reduced, perhaps the Academy could separate award categories into genres, making a point to include genres that often include women like romances or family dramas. This way, new opportunities for awards will be created — for both genders — when the gendered categories are put to rest.  

Having different terms for men and women perpetuates the idea that the actors should be defined in distinct, arbitrary groups. Instead of separate categories, the Oscars should cease using the term actress and just use actor as an umbrella term for men and women who act. This is already a trend among movie critics and some movie-goers, and it is high time for the Academy to follow suit.

Perhaps more than ever, there is diversity in the Academy, and if it is embraced, it can translate into diversity among who wins the top awards for bringing the widest possible range of characters to life. By judging performers according to their skill and not their gender categories, the Academy will translate that diversity into who receives awards. No group will be left out.

That includes women. Women are talented and capable of winning awards, even against men, and it is time we let them compete — in every category.

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